Anomaly In All Ways
by Soulfightersu
Summary: Tsuna is different from the rest of the world. Its a scientific fact. How does he fare whilst training to fight in war that's older than himself? 1827, M rated for a reason kids! Based on the wonderful fic by
1. Life Until Now

**AN:**_ Erm...I haven't got a clue what to write except that this is based on the single chapter fic written by **Seto's Darkness**, and I do have full permission to completely destroy such a wonderful piece if writing. Which I'm pretty damn sure I have done. *sighs* Oh well, here's the (crappy) first chapter. Enjoy and review!_

**DISCLAIMER:_ I in no way, shape or form own the tiniest smidgen of Katekyo Hitman Reborn. If I did, do you think I'd be writing on ? _**

**-0- -0- -0-**

Sawada Tsunayoshi didn't know much about life before the walls. That time had been when his Mother was a young girl, long before Tsuna had been born. So, he always listened to his Mother's stories with rapt attention. His father, Sawada Iemitsu, always watched his son with sad eyes, dreading the day his sweet little child would go to sleep and never wake again.

Because Tsuna's body was so fragile.

Because Tsuna was born _different_.

Tsuna envied the others, children who were born _right_.

Children whose soul attribute wasn't killing them.

You see, everybody is born with an attribute, _Plus_ or _Minus_. The attribute was the source of an individual's powers.

_Plus_: People whose qualities are based on building or creating. They are good healers, and good at repairing broken things.

_Minus_: People whose qualities are based on destroying. They are respected and admired for their battle skills and prowess against foes.

Everyone was born as one or the other. But not Tsuna. He was neither of these. Tsuna fell under another category.

_Zero_: People whose qualities are unknown or non-existent. They have no use and do not belong. They are anomalies.

By all rights, Tsuna _should_ have died the day he was born, as most other zero-attributes before him had. Zero-attributes were always born so, _so_ weak. Their bodies just couldn't survive through those precious first few hours. If they did, the next few years were touch and go. And Tsuna kept going. He survived those first few hours. His body had strength enough to keep going, through the next year and the doctors said that Tsuna was very, very lucky.

The doctors said he was very interesting, and that it would be in everyone's best interests if, when Tsuna was a bit older and stronger, he be referred to some specialists.

The doctors referred Tsuna when he turned four years old.

Tsuna called the specialists **THEM**.

Tsuna didn't think he was so lucky.

**THEY **took Tsuna away, put him in a small room with no windows.

**THEY** fed him mush that didn't taste of anything, and gave him water that tasted funny and made him feel strange.

**THEY** took Tsuna to other rooms filled with machines that flickered and clicked and whirred, whilst **THEY **stuck needles into him, filling him with strange things that made him feel cold.

**THEY** left Tsuna in rooms filled with others, and left them to fight amongst themselves over pleasant tasting scraps.

Tsuna didn't feel the same when **THEY** sent him back home, to the supposed haven of his mother's arms. Nothing looked the same to Tsuna. The world had lost some of its sparkle. He was so paranoid in the first few months, refusing to drink or eat anything he hadn't made himself.

Tsuna had always thought he was different. His stay with **THEM** had merely confirmed that fact. An anomaly, **THEY** had called him.

"_Interesting,_" One of **THEM **had remarked with a callous smirk, "_But ultimately useless._"

-0- -0- -0-

Even amidst a war-torn world, there were still schools.

Tsuna had, by this point, forgotten all about **THEM** (or so he told his Mother), and enjoyed school, seemingly not caring about the two-year 'black-spot' in his memory. At least, school had been enjoyable when it was about making inedible cookies that you painted, and pasta and glue pictures. Personal talents didn't matter so much. Until the next couple of years, when everyone started normal lessons. After that it quickly became apparent that Tsuna had no discernible skills _whatsoever. He was constantly tripping over nothing, and couldn't solve problems in maths. He could never pay attention in class, even though he tried so hard._

Some of the more mean-spirited children had started calling him "_Dame-Tsuna_", but it didn't upset him too much because the rest of the children stood up for him. Tsuna was content.

Then, they'd moved up to Middle-school.

Their first lesson in Middle-school had been about soul-attributes, and there had been a special speaker. He'd taught them all about Plus, Minus, and even Zero. The man even had a list of their names and had told them all what attribute they were.

Even Tsuna.

More and more people called him "_Dame-Tsuna_" after that. Nobody defended him anymore. They turned a blind eye, or watched on with haughty glares. Nobody did anything when the bullies started physically attacking Tsuna. Not even the kindest and most popular girl in class, Sasagawa Kyoko, spoke out for him.

As much as Tsuna liked her, and no matter how understanding he was, he would never forgive her. Even if._ Even if_ he did understand why.

_After all, who wants to defend what shouldn't exist?_

-0- -0- -0-

Despite his lack of skills, Tsuna managed to get into High-school. It was quite a shock to his peers, but they quickly got over it and spent most of their free school-time speculating as to _how_ Tsuna got in. Their theories ranged from pity to outright cheating.

But they soon dismissed these theories after the class got their first test results back. Tsuna had barely scraped 10 out of 47 marks.

"_Aha!_" His classmates had cried cheerfully "_The school let Dame-Tsuna in to give us an example! And for morale_."

At the others' quizzical looks, they elaborated.

" _I mean, You can't get more pathetic than Dame-Tsuna, can you?_"

Everyone had laughed hard that day. Everyone except _Dame-Tsuna_, who had (with tears silently flowing down his cheeks) forgotten the mantra taught to him by his Mother. Soft spoken words meant to motivate him.

"_We're all the same. All equal. Different, but equal._"

Tsuna wasn't _**equal**_. Tsuna was _**nothing**_.

_Zero._

-0- -0- -0-

Tsuna was often cited a daydreamer by his teachers.

"_Always with his head in the clouds._" They'd chuckle to the various school inspectors. "_We've tried our best, we really have, but its just in one ear and straight out the other._"

Which wasn't necessarily true, nor was it false.

Tsuna _did_ have the potential to succeed, he just learnt better through _doing_ things. His teachers had neither the desire nor the patience to sit down with the young brunet and walk him through the first few steps of his topics. Combined with his lack of self-esteem and the stigma against him, Tsuna had given up trying, and spent the lessons staring into space.

There'd always be at least one inspector who would push the matter further, asking _why_ one child of so many was being "_left behind_".

They stopped asking when his teachers told them what Tsuna's attribute was. The inspectors would spend the rest of their stay sending him haughty or pitying looks.

Tsuna simply gazed at the board, watching words take shape and vanish with the swipe of a hand, just like smoke.

-0- -0- -0-

Another year passed, and Tsuna was still breathing, still alive.

Each and every year that slid by and still had Tsuna within them brought great joy to his Mother (Tsuna didn't know his Father's opinion. Iemitsu had vanished a few years prior to Tsuna starting middle school), and she did her best to show Tsuna just how much she loved him.

On the day of his birth, Sawada Nana would take her beloved son to the research centre, where Tsuna would undergo routine physical and psychological tests, which would last all of the morning.

Then, Nana would take Tsuna as close to the nearest wall as she possibly could.

That meant that they would go to an abandoned sushi restaurant called "_Takesushi_".

It was a small building that consisted of a shop area and a kitchen on the ground floor. On the first floor was the living space, which was made of a living room, a bathroom and two bedrooms.

Tsuna's Mother would stride in like she owned the place, gently place a blanket on the nearest available patch of clear ground, and put out a small and simple spread that included Tsuna's favorites. Tsuna would sit down with her (taking care to avoid the sharp shards of dirty glass and that nasty patch of damp) and began eating the nearest piece of food.

Nana would gaze about the old building with a wide, melancholy smile. She'd continue to do this, occasionally glancing at the youth in front of her, until she deemed him ready. The older woman would start with a dreamy sigh (_always a dreamy sigh)_ and describe, in vivid detail, the beauty and life of the sushi restaurant named 'Takesushi'.

And Tsuna would listen while he ate with the same rapt attention he had as a small child, even if he _could_ recite the tale of the first time his Mother ate at Takesushi, even if he _could_ tell another person his Mother's _exact_ feelings when she first met his Father.

They would sit there together, Mother and Son, one reminiscing and the other trying to imagine what her life was like.

Trying to imagine life before the walls, the sirens and the empty streets.

Tsuna believed his Mother's gleeful words, agreeing with her as he looked around the dilapidated building. The young boy could almost _see_ the patrons seated at the mouldy stools, could almost _hear_ the buzz of conversation and shouted orders shot back and forth between the father and son who owned the place.  
And Tsuna knew his Mother noticed his faraway look.

They _always_ made sure to leave before dark, as the streets his Mother had grown up had become ten times more dangerous since the establishment of the walls.

Every year they did this. _Every year_, going to eat and reminisce inside the broken comfort of Takesushi's walls.

But it stopped the year before Tsuna's graduation. Enemies had attacked that particular section of wall, destroying Takesushi and a large chunk of the surrounding area.  
They stopped leaving the house for anything other than necessity, and Tsuna's Mother stopped telling him stories.

Stopped reminiscing.

-0- -0- -0-

Amongst everyone he knew, Tsuna understood that they were all individuals.

Tsuna understood that, even as individuals, they all wanted to 'clump' together with other, _similar _individuals. Herding together, as it were.

Tsuna understood that, even _if_ he shared any similarities with the others, he would never be accepted into their 'herd'. His one difference was too great, and bore too big a stigma.

He was _too_ different.

Tsuna understood that people fear what they themselves don't understand, so he understood why the others said such horrible things about him. Words that slowly chipped away at his heart and soul.

Tsuna understood when even the kindest and most caring person in class joined the others, became a part of that large, collective 'clump' that rejected him.

Tsuna even understood when the attacks became physical, and made him even more fragile.

He understood that they were scared of what was coming after graduation, scared of what they didn't and couldn't understand.

He understood that the bullies were simply lashing out, using Tsuna as a scapegoat to quell their uncertainty, make them feel like they had some semblance of control.

Tsuna understood that every bruise, cut and break was a desperate cry for help.

Even among the born sadistic, each blow they dealt to _strange_, _different_, _unnatural_ Tsuna was a shout-out.

Each blow screamed out the stress and frustration that each individual held.

Tsuna _**understood**_, but he didn't _**forgive**_.

He didn't hate any of them, but he didn't like them either.

But none of that mattered, because _Tsuna's_ opinions and feelings didn't matter.

Because he didn't belong.

In this social pattern, Tsuna was an anomaly.

Tsuna was alone.

Tsuna didn't belong.

-0- -0- -0-

The day of Tsuna's graduation had been much dreaded and anticipated.

When his class had first been informed of the exams, Tsuna had descended into a blind panic, knowing that he would fail. Knowing that any teacher he approached wouldn't give him the help he desperately needed.

It was only after several heart-to-hearts with his Mother that Tsuna pulled himself together, and spent as much spare time as he could studying.

Although, never in school.

He stopped trying to do so after his third notebook had been ripped to pieces and burned. Tsuna couldn't even take notes in lesson, because he'd be mugged at lunch and after school, and his notes would be destroyed. So, he spent almost all of his time at home studying. His Mother had even spent a small fortune on study guides and step-by-step topic books.

Tsuna spent many sleepless nights pouring over his surviving notes and text books, and quickly grew accustomed to passing out at his desk only to wake up the next morning in his own bed, tucked in tightly and surrounded by two or three hot water bottles. Tsuna even gained the foresight to change into his nightclothes when he settled down to study.

When Tsuna's exams had come around, he hadn't exactly been at his best, due to the prior months of work and stress taking its toll on his health.

But he hadn't let his mother know.

He had refused to let all his work go to waste, and was ecstatic that the exams had to be taken in complete silence. It meant that the harrowing words spewed at him weren't there to distract him. No one could snatch his work away from him.

Make no mistake, Tsuna still found the exams hard (he'd tuned out about four years worth of education, so no amount of cramming over a few short months would ever change that), both physically and emotionally (He'd lost count of the amount of times he'd barely got through the front door before collapsing into a sobbing pile of goo). Tsuna's health had been heavily affected by the extra stress, and he'd almost collapsed in the midst of exams, although he always caught himself and struggled on.

Collapse was inevitable, however, and Tsuna managed to fight it off until he'd finished checking his answers in his final exam before he let the black fog take him.

Tsuna barely scraped a pass in all of his subjects, but pass he did. Compared to his performance before his study scramble, he'd improved by miles, so Tsuna didn't feel bad when the others had looked down on him and his results.

Tsuna was very proud of himself, as was his mother.

His results must have shocked more people than Tsuna originally thought, because a few days later, two scientists from the research centre knocked on his door.  
Tsuna always felt uncomfortable around scientists, especially ones that experimented with live subjects. They were two-faced, so Tsuna was always wary around them.

His discomfort only increased when he saw the devious smirk on their faces.

"_Ah, konnichiwa, Sawada-san. May we come in? We have something...important to discuss._"

-0- -0- -0-

_White. Four walls so close together they looked like they were moving. Bleach, the smell filled the air thickly. No windows, only a heavy steel door. Rooms that reeked of blood and filth. Hands reaching out and grabbing, tearing, trying to snatch what he so desperately needed._

_Blurred movement, then another room. Still white. Walls, floor and door coated in it. This time, there are beeping machines, and sharp things piercing the skin. Agony, dancing along nerves and disrupting thoughts._

_The white is still there. No matter where the movement. Its always there._

After the third day of being held within the walls during testing, Tsuna remembered _why_ he hated the colour white.

-0- -0- -0-

A week after Tsuna returned from the his short stay at the research centre, he received **The Letter**.

It was a letter that every boy (well, man, really) his age received upon graduating. Some girls got it too, but only if they had previously displayed good combat skills.  
**The Letter** would arrive when a person was ready to go to the nearest **MAFIA** base, and would undergo training to become a competent soldier to defend Japan.  
It told them where there assigned base was, what training they would get, and the ranking system. It informed them of the rules, the living arrangements, and the names of their teachers within **MAFIA**. It also revealed the identity of the enemy, a European organisation similar to Japan's **MAFIA**; the **MILLEFIORE**.

**The Letter** also told its receivers of the Omerta, and the consequences of breaking it.

Underneath this small paragraph, sat another, smaller paragraph. It read:  
" _I, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ , do hereby vow to never reveal information to the enemy unless instructed to do so by the Don of **MAFIA**.  
__I acknowledge that any unauthorised action that is seen and/or acknowledged as betrayal will result in immediate undertaking of the above noted consequences._

_Signed: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _"_

Tsuna stared blankly at The Letter, before picking up a nearby pen with lethargic movements.  
He was stopped by his Mother's gentle hands on his arm. She peered at him with worried eyes.  
"_Are you sure, Tsu-kun?_" She asked him quietly.

Tsuna looked up at her with lifeless eyes. He nodded mutely, then moved his hand, slowly imprinting his name onto the crisp, ivory-white paper.  
The black ink stood out, seemingly burning the shining-white sheet as it absorbed the dark liquid.

Tsuna signed away his life. Signed away what little freedom he had, however minuscule.

-0- -0- -0-

Tsuna stood outside the reception area of the Namimori **MAFIA** branch. The building looked like a giant had just slotted hollow cement cubes into a neat rectangle. Tsuna knew that there would probably be countless underground tunnels and rooms, but couldn't bring himself to care.  
His Mother had come along with him, to say goodbye along with the other parents before carrying on to the evacuation buildings. His classmates and their parents stood around him, only in such a way that left at least a foot of ground between them and Tsuna. None of the other adults acknowledged Tsuna or Nana, and they stood talking quietly until a loud voice boomed out a surprised sounding "_Nana-chan?!_".

A tall, lean man with short ebony hair strode towards them, wearing the standard black suit of a high ranking** MAFIA** member.  
All the adults around them parted to let the stranger through, and waited until he'd passed before sending haughty glares that said "_Hn, in trouble are we? Ha!"_

So Tsuna was tempted to laugh hysterically when the stranger (and his superior) swept his Mother into a bear hug that stole her breath away in a peal of airy laughter.  
His Mother and the stranger (Who Tsuna learnt was in fact Yamamoto Tsuyoshi, previous owner of Takesushi and an old childhood friend of his Mother's) chatted away like two old wives.  
Sensing that they had much to catch up on, Tsuna hugged his Mother one last time and bid her goodbye.

She watched him go with sad eyes, leaning into the comforting arms of Tsuyoshi.  
"_Don't worry so much, Nana-chan," _He murmured softly, "_He'll be fine. I'll look out for him. Besides, can't you see? He's grown, Nana-chan. Look how strong he is."_

And look she did.

Tsuna was the first one to enter the building, the others following on behind him.

Following on like a _herd_.

**-0- -0- -0-**

**AN**:_ So, how was it? PLEASE put me out of my misery! I'd like to know if I'm doing Seto's Darkness justice! T-T Please click on that lovely button at the bottom of the page and tell me what you think!_

**Edit 24/12/2009** : _Just some formatting and the correction of a misspelled word. Nothing majorly important. And OMG! I've had so many (In my opinion anyways) reviews and __faves/alerts its unreal! Thank you all so much XD_


	2. Life From Now

**AN:** Hello again! I'm terribly sorry that its taken so long to get this chapter up, I really am! A lot of it can be put down to family and school and life in general, but another, smaller part of it is down to the fact that I really couldn't be bothered. However! I have finally got it done, so here it is!  
Please forgive me if the writing style has suddenly done a 180, I've had a year and a half worth of english lessons that have changed my style a bit. Otherwise, please enjoy and feel free to review!

Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Otherwise, Tsuna and Hibari would be so canon, it would be painful =D

* * *

The moment the recruits set foot inside the MAFIA building, they were whisked off to a large changing room and given identical clothes – brown pants and crisp white shirts – and made to line up for their ID. It consisted of the first two characters of the recruits name, a given number, and their attribute. Tsuna looked down at his own ID. **TSUNA27ZERO** glared back up at him, its sole purpose seeming to be to point out his weakness.

**-0- -0- -0-**

Once dressed, Tsuna and his fellow trainees were ushered into a large lecture hall. There was a mad dash for seats near the front, and Tsuna, being smaller and weaker, was left with a seat at the back. At the front of the room stood a podium, and stood in the middle of it was a baby – Tsuna has to quickly remind himself that the infant is in fact an Arcobaleno – looking, for all intents and purposes, very confident and threatening. The aura he emitted seemed to more than make up for his small stature, and one quick glance at the beady black eyes sent shivers crawling down the spine. A ripple of whispers spread through the group, recent months worth of rumours coming together like a giant light bulb. _That's Reborn!_

The small, suit wearing child stared down at them all, his fedora now tilted to cast a shadow over his eyes. Even hidden from sight, the unnerving gaze still had the majority of the recruits trembling in their seats. A small, green lizard slept on the brim of the hat, showing up against the orange band, and Tsuna's eyes couldn't help but be pulled towards. Inwardly, the boy wondered why none of the others were looking at it. Surely they could see it?

"My name is Reborn," the child said, and immediately fifty pairs of eyes locked onto his figure and stayed there "As of tomorrow morning, you will begin your training, and by the time the next group of recruits come in, I hope to see that _all_ of you have reached a combat ready rank. I can see some real potential in this group, but whether or not you succeed is entirely down to yourselves."

Reborn must have made some kind of signal as he spoke, because the moment he fell silent, some soldiers that had been stood to the side moved forward, piles of dossiers held in their arms. The folders were given to the people at the start of the rows of seats and given the murmured command of "_Take one and pass them on_". Tsuna was glad to see that his had been left well alone, if the cover was anything to go by. But he didn't dare open it to check, and probably wouldn't do so until after they were released. Reborn demanded their full attention, and would accept no less. He went on to outline what level zero would be like, and how quickly they were expected to progress. He told them about the sleeping and eating arrangements, of how the entire group would be sharing one dorm, and that they'd be assigned to line zero in the canteen.

"But remember, the higher rank you are, the better the food and commodities will be." he concluded.

Whilst the others erupted into excited chatter, debating who'd be the first to move up or how long it would take them to move up, Tsuna remained silent, and clutched his dossier. He'd gotten the hidden meaning behind Reborn's words. The higher rank of soldier, the more dangerous the mission.

The small figure waited for the hubbub to die down. Eventually, it did, each youth fidgeting in their seats. Reborn eyed them all coolly before he next spoke.

"You are all expected to read the orientation packets that you've been given in your own time. Oh, and the Vongola is recruiting new members. So you'd better not neglect your training." his hands moved, and suddenly, he was pointing a green pistol at them all, seemingly ready to shoot one of them, before smirking and walking away.

_That's all?_

"What kind of orientation was that? I'm not any wiser for it at all." Tsuna muttered, and started flicking through the many pages of base rules, instructions and current high-ranking officers. He's already set for being an outcast, and he didn't want to make things any harder. Unfortunately, Tsuna has a talent for attracting trouble. Its probably a Zero thing, he muses.

** -0- -0- -0-**

Later on, Tsuna learns from one of the more loud-mouthed recruits that Vongola is the MAFIA's inner group of elites, the very best of the best. These are the members that are given access to luxuries and are assigned the assassin level missions. Tsuna isn't the slightest bit interested in gaining such high-profile and high-responsibility work. Its not even like he'd have the smallest chance, anyway, except for an extremely cruel joke. But Tsuna is mostly content with his life here. Sure,the dorms are cramped (with at least 50 bodies to a room), and the meals are a far cry from his mother's cooking (you couldn't really call the tasteless mush they served 'food'), but as the new recruits weren't assigned tasks too far from the base, there was next to no chance of dying.

And as much as Tsuna dislikes being the outcast, he still likes being alive.

Once a month, the recruits are allowed to go the Civilian Evacuation Centre, as most of their relatives are there. At first, it had been full of those too old for military service and women that couldn't join MAFIA. Now, with the recent attacks on the walls, children had been added to that list. Centres all over Japan were full to bursting, except Namimori. Sometimes, wars could work wonders as a preventative.

His mother always greeted him with a smile, and the bright chatter of devoted, optimistic mothers everywhere. And Tsuna encouraged this, punctuating his listening with soft "_Sou ka_"s and "_Honto?_"s, and tactfully ignored the darker bags and growing lines in her face. And in return, she ignored the gauntness of his features, and his own bags under his eyes. It was one of those silent understanding things, something Tsuna is grateful for, because his time with his mother is precious, and shouldn't be filled with too much worry for one another.

His last visit was more cheerful than most. Once he'd got past the stringent security measures at the door, he'd walked into the visitor's hall and taken a seat at the usual table. At the table across, Sasagawa Ryohei regaled his little sister with tales of the training he was undergoing, and how the whole thing was just '_Extreme!_'. She sat there and smiled, nodding and speaking where necessary, tactfully ignoring the mentions of dangerous missions all the while. It was a skill all of the non-militant women had picked up, a defense mechanism against the harsh reality.

And then Tsuna's mother had swept in, all smiles and happy little squealing sounds. In her hands, a crumpled piece of paper was clutched tightly in her fist, and with the way his mother bounced around, Tsuna knew that it was a letter from _Him_. As she sat down, Tsuna stretched a smile across his face.

His mother was rarely genuinely happy, and he wasn't going to spoil that for her.

** -0- -0- -0-**

The walk through the medical wing to the room of 'Dr Shamal' was mostly silent. Tsuna could never understand the need for anything medical or scientific to be swathed in white. A petite woman in white uniform strode past him. She glanced askance at the teen, and he felt his body tense. He wanted to run, to find a shadowy corner to hide in. But it was _too **bright**_.

_There is too much __**white**_.

A quick look at the colour coded sign at the next crossroad corridor told him that he'd travelled deeper into the base's innards. A small notice underneath it announced that the area was for '_authorised persons only_'. Tsuna stopped to stare at it, feeling small, like back then. He shivered, and carried on.

When he reached the room – _again, white **everything** – _there was a young man sitting in the doctor's chair.

"Are you Doctor Shamal?" the shy brunet asked quietly. The man looked at him before smirking and rising to stand in front of him.

"No. The good doctor has been called away on important business. I'll be filling in for him just for now. You can call me Sensei." he smiled, sweet as saccharin. "Get changed into these."

Tsuna moved to do as he was told, standing behind the curtain surrounding the examination table. As he undressed, Sensei spoke.

"I'm looking forward to examining you, _little Zero_. I've heard that those of your attribute are..._ fascinating_ subjects to study."

Lead settled in the pit of Tsuna's stomach. Cold, heavy, sickening. Slowly, Sensei moved across the room and closed the door.

** -0- -0- -0-**

When Tsuna next visits his Mother, he says that he remembers nothing of the appointment.

** -0- -0- -0-**

Training to be a soldier is difficult for the average person, let alone someone as weak and unskilled as Tsuna. Most training sessions are filled with the taunts and jeers of his peers, and most of those training the youths let this happen. After all, if the suffering of one keeps the many happy and confident in their own abilities, why interfere?

And the others in the group were happy to comply – most of their sessions ended with a thoroughly bruised Tsuna. However, the day they received their first firearms, Tsuna felt colder than usual. Looking round at the people he went to school with, he felt the chasm of difference between them grow. Some held the weapons carelessly, swinging them round on fingers, or pointing them at invisible targets. Others held them with the quiet reverence of one who was born to hold and use it. The rest held them with a hesitant fear, afraid that they might come alive and bite them.

Tsuna only felt a solid shudder rack his body. He was not made to hold a weapon, not one like this. Vaguely, Tsuna felt that something had left them. It would only be later, when sent on their first mission that he would know exactly what.

** -0- -0- -0-**

Somewhat ironically, Tsuna finds their firearms sessions most enjoyable, if only for the fact that their tutor, Collonello-sensei, firmly believes in proving yourself through work, instead of what you physically are. Any attempts to bully the zero were stopped instantly. Tsuna also liked the lack of physical violence, as it meant less bruises for his ever-growing collection.

It didn't stop the soft laughter when he (yet again) missed his target by a mile, or reassembled a gun improperly. Collonello-sensei took him aside after a particularly poor session (Tsuna hadn't even been able to condense his energy into a stable bullet) to give him some advice.

"You're a quiet kid, kora! And I've seen how the rest of your group like to pick on you. So, you've probably got a lot of anger and frustration bottled up inside. Next time, I want you to use that frustration, okay? Focus that into your weapon and at the target. You should do a lot better that way." the blonde-haired arcobaleno smiles at the brunet confidently before sending the boy on his way to lunch. It's all Tsuna can do to nod bemusedly before leaving.

** -0- -0- -0-**

Tsuna follows Collonello-sensei's advice the next day. He misses every target and leaves feeling clammy and nauseas.

** -0- -0- -0-**

The sessions with Sensei are once every week, on a Saturday. Every time his Mother asks about them, he claims he can't remember anything about them and moves onto a different topic, while in his mind needles, wandering hands and cold eyes press into his skin.

** -0- -0- -0-**

After a few months, Tsuna settles into a new routine, becomes familiarised with the staff in the mess hall and the medical wing, and watches the group he led into the MAFIA surpass him and move on. Soon, many of them are sent out to the war zones, to defend the walls. Some don't come back, and most of those that do are changed for eternity. Some are even irreparably damaged and are sent to the restricted section of the medical wing.

But Tsuna stays, zero by nature and rank, and a quiet resentment grows. Tsuna doesn't blame them for it.

He accepts it.

Because this is his life as it is now.


	3. Sensei's Scrutiny and Moving Forwards

Apologies! I'm sorry this took so long, but at least it's not taken me a year and a bit, right?  
On a brighter note, I'm still receiving favourites and reviews for this fic, which has made me so happy!

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Tsuna walked down the sterile halls of the medical wing, the harsh lights banishing the shadows and bringing a sickly pallor to bare flesh. A few stern nurses passed by, nodding to the young soldier as they moved. He returned a small smile, hoping to raise their spirits. They all looked so tired, weary of life, and the brunet couldn't blame them. More and more casualties were coming in than going out. The plus-healers were doing their best, but there was only so much energy they could safely expend in a day, and unfortunately, that wasn't enough. Some of the nurses nodded back, recognising him from his regular trips into the pristine halls. Others hurried past to the next patient. There was always a next patient.

Level zero's had recently been ordered to help in the infirmary, mostly with the cleaning and moving of corpses. It wasn't a pleasant task, and many of the more outspoken recruits voiced their distaste in the beginning. They'd been sent to see the Arcobaleno and Vongola Nono, to "discuss" the situation. Tsuna cringed when he'd heard the summons, because, honestly, they were far too busy being at war. Did those silly boys still believe that this was school? Did they think that shouting their opinion at this rank would help? The brunet simply shook his head and got on with scraping bits of leg off of an operating table. It was better to just get on with it.

-0-0-0-

The group of displeased recruits never came back to help with the infirmary tasks. During training, they held blank, motionless expressions, and moved about in a detached manner. Tsuna later found out that they had been "promoted" to field work. They now had to dig corpses from collapsed buildings, and scrape gore from the roads. "I thought something like that was going to happen. They were better off keeping quiet." He had informed the other boy, a rare thing for him to do.

-0-0-0-

Tsuna was reminded why he didn't speak to the other recruits in the communal showers the next day.  
He told the nurse in charge of the infirmary that he and the others had gotten carried away in combat training.

-0-0-0-

Today was another visit to Sensei. Tsuna dreaded these appointments, in the cold – _white! Horriddetestabledisgusting! White!_ – room, with the dreadful diagrams of how flames, the physical output of a soul attribute's energy, flowed around the body, staring outwards and taunting the Zero.  
As he entered the examination room, the brunet felt that something was…_off._ Some feeling screamed at him to turn and run away, but instead he stood in place to examine the strange feeling. He couldn't describe it, the churning, twisting _knot_ his insides had become, the way his head slowly began to _pound_.  
And then he saw Sensei and the strange, slimy smile on the older man's face.  
Tsuna felt...apprehensive, an inexplicable foreboding. Some part of him knew, deep, deep down, that something bad was going to happen, and that it would be best if he was a large distance away from the doctor _right now!_

"Ah, little Zero. Shut the door please." Tsuna did as he was told. Stiffly, he approached the doctor.  
He nervously watched the older man, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.  
"Sensei, what – "  
Hands flew out and grasped his arms tightly, pulling him down and holding him in place. Tsuna gasped, feeling the rush of adrenaline to his system, and began to struggle, but his captors held him too tight. Caramel eyes watched as Sensei stood and moved to lock the door. The click echoed, even above the harsh pants of the rooms occupants.  
Sensei grinned at Tsuna, who felt it on his back, heavy and slick, like grease.

"You may begin."

-0-0-0-

The hands pulled at him, pressing into soft flesh and scraping barely hidden bone. His jaw ached as it was gripped harshly to allow entry into the moist cavern. There were teeth and nails, and the slow drip of blood across his skin.

Tsuna had lost track of what was being done to him, and of whose hands and mouths were doing what and when. All he knew was the burn and the sting, and eventually, the creeping numbness.

After an eternity, the group stepped away from him. Vaguely, Tsuna heard the clinical voice ordering them to leave, heard the rustle of clothing and the careless tread of booted feet moving away, disappearing with the click of the closing door.

All of this was disregarded by the teen. He ached, down to his very core, muscles involuntarily lax and consciousness hovering between oblivion and misty haze. Distantly he felt the congealment of the fluids caking his body. Then he felt another pair of hands on him, and feebly he tried to move away. But he was so _tired_!

Slowly, and with his mind and body screaming at him to stay awake – _whitedon'tletdon'ttrusthimstayawake__**danger**__! _- He slipped into the gentle embrace of darkness.

-0-0-0-

When he next woke up, he saw the grey-white tiles of the infirmary's ceiling. Gingerly, he sat up, disturbing the pastel green blanket draped across his chest. One of the nurses spotted his movement, and strode towards his bed quickly, the soft soles of her shoes making a slight scuffling sound on the linoleum. Her pinched face softened slightly as she took in his bruised, yet still innocent features.

"Sawada-san." She acknowledged, accepting his hesitant return greeting with a brisk nod of her head "You're lucky you were found when you were. Much longer and you'd have died from shock. Honestly child, what were you thinking, going into the derelict zone alone?" Tsuna's head snapped up, intensifying the stiffness in his neck and shoulders.

"Ugh! I was found in the derelict zone?" He gasped through the mild pain.

The nurse frowned and reached into the breast pocket of her uniform, retrieving a small torch.

"Yes. A patrol unit found you yesterday at 0100 hours. You were slipping into an advanced state of shock." As she spoke, she placed her fingers gently around Tsuna's blackened eye, prising open the swollen lids and shining the light in both of his eyes, looking for the pupil response. "Don't you remember what happened?"

Tsuna moved his head to gaze at his hands.

"No." he whispered "I don't remember anything."

-0-0-0-

More nurses were summoned, who examined the cadet and spoke in hushed whispers. Soon after, a doctor was called in, who then called for another doctor, and he then called for a specialised plus-healer. The unusual commotion eventually attracted the attention of their superiors. Tsuna was halfway through yet another physical examination when they came.

4 arcobaleno and an old man dressed smartly in a suit approached the group of medics surrounding the boy sat on the examination table. One of the doctors and the plus-healer broke away from the group to speak to newcomers. Before the gap could be filled with the other medical staff, Tsuna spotted Reborn and Collonello standing beside the old man and the other two arcobaleno.

"Sawada-san, could you please read the letters and symbols on the chart? Keep going until you can't read anymore." One of the nurses prompted him, the 5th time they'd asked him to read the chart. As soon as he was finished reading the chart, the group of medics moved aside.

The old man was approaching him, moving with grace, confidence, and a firm posture that belied his age, which was revealed only by the stark grey of his hair and the many wrinkles of his skin. Silent authority rolled off of the elder in waves, yet on his face sat a gentle smile and warm eyes. What Tsuna sensed and saw was at odds, and this threw him. The teen unknowingly switched to defensive body language, bringing his arms closer to his torso and drawing his legs closer together. His eyes darted about the room, making the boy look like a small wary animal. The elder man stopped in front of Tsuna, his cane (hitherto unnoticed by Tsuna) clicked gently as it rested on the tiled floor.

"Good afternoon, Sawada-kun. My name is Timoteo. How are you feeling?" His voice was deep and scratchy, but gentle in tone and washed over Tsuna soothingly. His legs relaxed a fraction.

"I'm f-fine, Timoteo-san." Honey-brown eyes kept low.

"That's a wonderful thing to hear, Sawada Tsunayoshi. However, considering where you were found, and the…nature of your injuries, has my advisors and I worried."

At this point, Tsuna's head shot up to fix his gaze on the elder man. _Why_ would they be worried about a mere Zero level cadet, when they had an entire _country_ to worry about?

Uncontrollably, his eyes drifted towards the arcobaleno, one glance at their grim expressions (those that he could see, at any rate, for one wore a low hood) gave him a clue.

_Derelict zones – presently irreparable breaches in the walls that acted as Japan's protection. Possible entry points for enemy spies._

They thought Tsuna had been attacked for information!

Timoteo watched as gears turned in Tsuna's mind, as the conclusion he reached settled a frown on his features.

"...I'm sorry, T-timoteo-san…I don't remember anything after my appointment with Shamal-san's assistant, Sensei. I…don't know why I went to the derelict zone."

Timoteo looked troubled at Tsuna's statement, and looked back at the arcobaleno.

"Mammon. Please come and have a look at Tsunayoshi." The statement wasn't a request.

The hooded infant rose and moved towards the examination table. There was a frog sat on Mammon's head, which yawned and stretched out…and continued stretching until it became a yellow snake that swallowed the tip of its tail. It hovered above the robed child's head, like a perverse halo, and Mammon rose from the ground until they (He? She? Tsuna couldn't tell) hovered in front of Tsuna, their face level with his.

"I'm going to see if you've been possessed or previously trapped in an illusion. This may cause some discomfort." Mammon's monotone squeak of a voice had barely registered with Tsuna when he acted.

There was a feeling of something slick and cold piercing his thoughts, a presence his mind fought viciously, and ejecting the intruder forcibly.

Mammon ceased to hover and fell to the ground with a cry that was equal parts pain and incredulity, whilst Tsuna grasped his head with his hands and hissed between his teeth at the uncomfortable feeling. The remaining arcobaleno rushed over to the still floored Mammon, collectively throwing suspicious glares at the brunet child. Timoteo's face became an impassive mask. The man gave a look to the medical staff, who scattered and departed. Everyone else was left in privacy.

"Sawada." Tsuna lifted his head to gaze once more at Timoteo. "What did you do to Mammon? It would be unwise to lie."

"I'm sorry! I'm really, really sorry! I wanted to tell you, but I didn't have a chance!" Tears welled in bruised and swollen eyes, trickling down his similarly bruised cheeks.

"And what was it that you wanted to tell us?" This time it was Reborn who spoke, the glint in his eyes all but screaming that he should tell them now, before things got nasty.

"It's in my files. The scientists said it had something to do with my attribute…They said that I was immune to possessions. I didn't understand what they said, but it's in my files."

Reborn raised a hand to his ear, nodding occasionally. After a few minutes, he lowered his hand and turned to Timoteo, who had been conversing quietly with the now recovered Mammon.

"It's true. There is a document in his file that corroborates with what he just said."

All turned to look at Tsuna as one, Collonello's glare a little less heated than the rest, Timoteo's gaze kindly yet stern.

"Well, Sawada-kun. Despite your lack of memory, perhaps this incident will teach you to stay away from the derelict zone whilst alone. The doctor says that you can return to your dorm today, and training tomorrow."

Timoteo, Reborn and two other arcobaleno left the room. As they reached the door, Tsuna spoke.

"Moushiwake arimasen, Mammon-san… Vongola Nono-san."

The retreating group spun to look at the cadet once more. To the surprise of all, Timoteo began to chuckle.

"Very good, Sawada Tsunayoshi. Very good indeed."

-0-0-0-

The remaining arcobaleno, called Lal-mirch and wearing purple-red goggles that hid her eyes and held her blue-purple hair from her face, briefly questioned Tsuna about Sensei.

"Who is he?"

"Why did you go to see him?"

"What does he do during these appointments?" were among the questions, which Tsuna answered just as briefly. The only question he answered whole-heartedly was the last.

"How does he make you feel during these appointments?"

" Sensei makes me feel extremely uncomfortable. He drags out treatments and tests to make me uncomfortable. He said it was another test."

Lal thanked Tsuna and left him in the infirmary.

-0-0-0-

When Tsuna went to his next appointment with Sensei, a nurse was waiting for him.

"You're appointments with this doctor are now terminated. You don't need to come to the appointments until the return of Shamal-hakase. You'll be notified when the time comes."

"What happened to Sensei?"

"He was taken by CEDEF for questioning."

-0-0-0-

Tsuna eyed the small package on his futon warily. It was smallish and wrapped in brown paper, and his MAFIA identification number was printed across the front in bold, yet unassuming letters. He carefully approached it, prodding the object with a shaking finger. The paper crinkled as the digit sunk into the package. Gently, he grasped it and began to tear away at the tape. A crisp dress shirt fell out, followed by a pair of cufflinks. On their faces, a small clam glinted in the dim light of the dorm. As Tsuna's face paled, a figure spoke suddenly from the doorway.

"Welcome to Level One, Dame-Tsuna."


End file.
